4 Secrets to Keep Your Carpet Looking New

When guests and relatives enter your home, a beautiful carpet could be the first thing to catch their eye and welcome them to your home. It could also be the first part of your home that they step on while walking through the door. Because of this, a carpet needs to be protected from wear and tear more than other pieces of furniture and home decor. Your carpet is a piece that sets the tone for the entire look and feel of your home. That means that taking care of it has to be a major priority. But carpet care doesn’t have to be tedious and expensive. All it takes it a bit of extra due diligence and knowledge about how to treat stains and damage. Learn how to make your carpet last by reading for some lesser-known carpet tips.

1. Prevent Stains Before They Happen

When a carpet is brand new, owners are more likely to be hyper vigilant about keeping it clean and protected. As a carpet starts to become commonplace in the home, however, homeowners spend less time worrying about its protection. It may be hard to so. Yet, try to get into the habit of treating your carpet with as much care as you did when you first bought it. That means keeping an eye out not just for stains, but for troublesome patterns that could lead to stains down the line.

If you’re noticing that a certain patch of your rug is looking a bit more trampled on than usual, take the time to rotate it. If you’re having trouble diagnosing a certain odor, try sprinkling baking soda on the surface and allowing it to soak up debris overnight. If your pet is causing a certain part of your rug to smell, try using absorbent pads to provide a buffer between your pet and your carpet. There are many ways to be smart about preventing damage to your carpet without having to spend too much time worrying. As long as you tell visitors to remove their shoes and be cautious with food and drinks, your carpet will be able to live a long and healthy life under your roof.

2. Treat Stains the Right Way

Of course, over time, stains are certain to occur on your carpet. The key is not to panic, and not to treat these stains with too much vigor. Although your first impulse will be to rub out any offending material or vacuum as hard as you can, this is not the best way to eradicate the damage. In fact, these actions could end up making things worse. When it comes to treating stains, be gentle by using non-toxic dish soap and a paper towel to gently blot.

Leaving stains to soak overnight is always a good idea, and different types of stains often require a different approach. For instance, it’s never wise to treat oil or grease stains in the same way you’d treat a paint or wine stain. For thicker stains, removing as much debris as you possibly can beforehand is always the best tactic. Using baking soda for thinner, more lingering stains can be helpful in preventing odor from getting too deep into a carpet’s fibers.

3. Use Mats to Reduce Damage

Rather than having to vacuum every day and keep rotating your carpet to reduce foot traffic, try using home mats to your advantage. By placing smaller mats around your home, you’ll be protecting your rugs from getting to worst of it in terms of crumbs, debris, and dirt. Using smaller mats also helps with cleaning. All you have to do is place them in areas that produce a ton of dirt, like the kitchen or by each entryway, and you’ll be able to prevent dirt from spreading as far as the carpet.

4. Clean Smart

Every so often, you should get your carpet professionally cleaned to keep it healthy and sparkling. Investing in a high-quality method like chem-dry is a great way to ensure that your carpet stays fresh and odor free. Many cleaners use a special extraction method in order to rid your carpet of even the harshest, most stubborn stains. Even if you side aside a small budget for a yearly cleaning, it will be worth it to see your carpet looking brand new once more. Once you’ve gotten a professional cleaning, you’ll also find yourself newly inspired to take better care of your carpet and preserve that fresh, fluffy look all throughout the year.